Henry Sutton IV
Sir Henry Edward Sutton IV (Known as "Harry the Unlikely" for being born so far down the line of succession) is the 8th Duke of Newcastle, and a retired Field Marshal in the Stormwind Army. He is a trusted member of the Royal Council, a Knight of the Brotherhood of the Horse, an avid hunter, outdoorsman, and a breeder of fine horses. He is rumored to be among the five wealthiest Dukes in the Stormwind Peerage, and is the patron of more than a dozen charities throughout the Kingdom of Stormwind. Eldest son of Edward Sutton VIII, and Lady Anne Soren, Henry inherited the Dukedom from his grandfather at the age of just 20, because he was the only heir left at the time. Henry has held the title for over 46 years. Like his grandfather, Henry tries to keep family traditions alive, such as the annual shooting party held at the Willow Manor estate. Appearance Tall and broad-shouldered, he appears to be well into his sixties. He is always immaculately well-groomed and his handsome features, and a highly dignified appearance are precisely what one would expect from the very highest rank within Stormwind's aristocracy. His clothes are always neatly pressed, perfectly tailored, and made of the very finest cloth available. He wears no jewelery, save for a truesilver lord's signet on the little finger of his right hand and a gold pocketwatch. A decorated Officer in the Stormwind Army, Henry is a veteran of every conflict since the first war. Since his retirement at age 65, the Duke has traded his armor for the fine, comfortable clothing befitting a man of his station, but never misses an opportunity to attend functions for retired officers. He is seldom seen without a magnificent Gilnean Mastif, affectionately referred to as Athena, and treated as if she were Royalty. Athena is an old dog like her master, and equally good natured. Personality and Character Humorous, modest, and undoubtedly eccentric to some, Henry Sutton is a man of endless good nature and boundless generosity. Like his grandfather, Henry places high value on good manners, even when dealing with people he dislikes. Highly energetic for a man of his years, he believes in maintaining peak physical condition, and neither drinks in excess, nor smokes what he often refers to as "Foul cigars that ought to be banned in all public places". To the hundreds of people who live and work on his Newcastle estate, Henry has always been a good landlord, and a generous employer. He hosts a Winterveil dinner each year, during which all the children who live on the estate receive presents, and in recent years, he is said to have dressed up as Greatfather Winter. A firm believer in the role of the aristocracy as protectors of the land and the people who live on it, Henry's sense of duty has carried him through a 45-year career as an Officer in Stormwind's Army. Since his retirement at age 65, Henry has devoted much of his time to politics. Always interested in military matters, Henry will often stop and chat with soldiers of any rank when he is in Stormwind City. He loves nothing more than speaking with other veterans of past wars and telling stories of the glory days of the Brotherhood of the Horse under Anduin Lothar. Regardless of rank and station, Henry takes an interest in the well being of all the Kingdom's soldiers and has been known to offer financial aid to families of soldiers, exceptionally low rents to the soldiers who live on his own lands, and has been among the largest donors to various charitable organisations whose purpose is to help veterans and their families. Recent History Retirement Despite his desire to continue a long and distinguished career as an Officer in the Stormwind Army, Henry was finally forced to retire in January of 623 K.C. for reasons of advanced age after failing a physical for the first time in 45 years. He was sixty five years old. For a man who had spent the better part of his life in service to King and County, retirement has not been an easy thing. Close friends of the Duke described him as melancholy for the first months of his retirement. Forced to choose between quiet, country life at the magnificent, Castle Sutton estate or spending his time at Newcastle House while the house of nobles is in session, Henry has elected to make himself useful in the Kingdom's politics. With one son still serving in the Kingdom's military, the aging Duke seems to live vicariously through him, and seldom misses the opportunity to attend functions for retired Officers. Tragedy and Scandal On the 28th of July, Henry was awakened in the middle of the night with the devastating news that his eldest son and heir, the Earl of Sutton Vale had been stabbed to death during an altercation at the Pig and Whistle. Witnesses reportated that the murderer was none other than the husband of a woman the Earl had been carrying on a secretive affair with for more than three months. Sir Martin of Dorset was arrested on charges of murder, but intends to plead innocense on the grounds that the Earl had left him no choice but to defend his honour. If Dorset is exonerated, the aging Duke threatened to pursue revenge by any means necessary. The threat, considered by most to be little more than the words of a grieving father has been taken quite seriously by Sir Martin's father, Lord Dorset. A funeral for the Earl took place on August third at the family's private chapel in Newcastle County. A trial for Sir Martin later saw him convicted of all charges and publicly hung like a common criminal at the Duke's request. Return to Politics After a long period of illness and depression brought on by the murder of his eldest son and heir, the Duke returned to take his seat in Stormwind's house of nobles for the first time in well over half a year. Present Day Although he seems in good health, Henry's remaining children have begun to question whether he is still capable of overseeing such a vast estate at his age. Plagued by stress and worry for the future having lost his two eldest sons, Henry has repeatedly urged his last remaining son to marry as quickly as possible, but Edward, never having thought to find himself in the position of heir-apparent to his father's great title and fortune has insisted that he will marry for love, and only when he is ready. During a conversation with one of his fellow peers at Stormwind Palace, Henry was overheard insisting that he would even go so far as to marry a penniless Alteraci noblewoman, whose Kingdom he has repeatedly denounced since Lord Perenolde's treason, so long as she was of good family, and renounced the Perenoldes. The lack of eligible brides from Stormwind has infuriated the Duke, though not near as much as Edward's suggestion that he should consider marrying a commoner. Descended from Royalty on both sides, the aging Duke replied, "Have you ever seen a lion mate with an alley cat? A common girl is fine for a mistress, or a single night of passion, but I will not dishonor this family by being the first Sutton in history to marry so far below his rank." Henry later negotiated a marriage between Edward and the wealthy widow of the Duke of Jonsport, Eliza Hastings, but his efforts went unappreciated and Edward refused the match, insisting that if he held the woman in such high esteem, he ought to marry her himself. Infuriated by his son, Henry did seek her hand for himself, but Lady Eliza has not yet answered him. Once regarded as endlessly good-natured and boundless in his generosity, Henry has grown increasingly short-tempered and unforgiving of late. Upon arriving at his Stormwind house to attend a session of the house of nobles, Henry was observed striking a servant with his cane, and viciously cursing the young man whose only crime was to drop one of the Duke's bags from the carriage. A Father's Lament The Duke suffered a grievous loss when on the 22nd of November, he was informed that his only remaining son, and heir to the Dukedom of Newcastle had been slain in combat while serving in the Tanaan Jungle. His eldest daughter, still bitter with regard to the family's practice of male primogeniture and her exclusion from the line of succession, had refused to speak with Henry, or even allow him to see his grandchildren. Utterly distraught over the loss of his favorite son and dreading the possibility of his great title and fortune passing sideways to his brother, and then his indulgent wastrel of a nephew, the aging Duke is said to have broken down when Edward's remains were delivered to the family's private Chapel at Castle Sutton. His youngest daughter Margaret fears that he will never truly recover from such a loss, and has urged him not to return to Newcastle House in Stormwind City, where he would be alone. The End Of An Era On the 28th of March, an official report stated that the Duke suffered a massive stroke at his home after a heated argument with his younger brother, resulting in his death at the age of 67. The Duke's family has announced that a memorial service is to take place in early April. With all three of his sons preceding him in death, the Dukedom and vast landholdings of the house of Sutton should legally pass to the Duke's younger brother, Charles Sutton as per the practice of male primogeniture. On the morning of March 29th, the Duke's eldest surviving child--a daughter has petitioned the Stormwind Courts to challenge her uncle's right to inherit the title, insisting that the practice of male primogeniture belongs in the past. Memorable Quotes "We do not own any of this, my son... Our fortune was made by the generations who came before us, so who are we to squander it? We have been blessed with so many wonderful things--things which we have done nothing to deserve, and we must strive daily to be worthy of the awesome responsibility. We are Newcastle's curators, and it is our duty to preserve the estate for future generations to enjoy." To his son, the Earl of Sutton on his 21st birthday. "How can I possibly retire when I've never worked a day in my life?" Said in jest to one of his fellow Officers at his retirement dinner. "A good butler is hard to find and I'd sooner cut off my right arm than have to find a replacement for you." Said to his Butler, Renfield after insisting that the man carry a pistol to protect himself when it was feared there might have been a riot in Stormwind City. "Be without fear, for we are the sword and shield of the Holy Light, and need fear no evil." To his Regiment during the siege of Icecrown Citadel. "My hair will grow back before the Argent Crusade stands up to the Banshee Queen." To his youngest son while touring an outpost in the Western Plaguelands. "Of course I'll remarry. I may be old, but I'm not dead and I'd like another son or two while I'm still capable of making them." Said to his brother at a charity dinner. "This old lion still has claws." To his eldest son after defeating a man nearly two decades his junior in an honorable duel. "We should have put every one of those greenskin bastards to the sword while we had them in camps. How many thousands of lives we could have saved..." To his friend and former subordinate, Captain Thomas Cerwynn after learning of his son Edward's death in combat against the orcs. Category:Characters Category:Human Category:Stormwind Peerage Category:Stormwindian Category:House of Sutton Category:Brotherhood of the Horse Category:Stormwind Army Category:Hunters Category:Willowbrook Hunt Club Category:Alliance Officers Category:Army Officers